Restaurant Inspections: Food Items Being Held at Improper Temperatures

From March 20-25, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Burke and Fairfax Station areas. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Spartans Family Restaurant

9542 Burke Rd

Date of inspection: March 25

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Uncovered food containers were noted in the walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer where the food is subject to contamination.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: sugar, flour, oil.
• Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor.
• Non-critical: The door gaskets of the refrigerators on the cookline are torn and need to be repaired or be replaced.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The operator is not testing the chemical sanitizing solution to ensure proper concentration of the solution.
• Non-critical: Maintenance tools are not being stored in a way that prevents the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service items. Bags of onions stored underneath broom and mops.
• Non-critical: Observed that inadequate lighting was provided in the dry storage and other areas.

Boston Market

9278 Old Keene Mill Rd

Date of inspection: March 22

• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.
• Non-critical: A chemical vegetable wash solution is used in the establishment. No test kit is provided to measure the concentration of the chemical in the solution.

Glory Days Grill

9526 Old Keene Mill Rd

Date of inspection: March 20

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination as follows: Observed raw chicken over raw tilapia in the stacked two door upright refrigerator along the cookline.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the wiping cloth bucket along the cookline with a concentration of zero (0) ppm total quaternary ammonium compound.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
• Non-critical: The back door was propped open with a cloth in the space between door frame and door allowing for a 2-3 inch clearance.
• Non-critical: Observed a box of single service cups on the floor in the dry storage area.
• Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: The dipper well was observed with food debris in the basin. The interior of the refrigerator and freezer units are in need of cleaning.
• Non-critical: Observed holes in walls near kitchen hand sink wall. Observed handsink pulled away from wall in kitchen.
• Non-critical: Light bulb(s) in the walk in freezer are not covered by a protective shielding.